Help - Found a perfect s/h Freshbreeze Simonini BUT J-bar

[mark77a]

Guys - a guy local to me has offered a low hours FB Simonini 122 for £2K (or £2.5 with a load of extras).

Light 23Kg (weighed), loads of power, smooth and Quiet.

BUT its the High J-Bar hangpoint with separate harness and motor jetison option.

Option 1 convert to FB Low/mid hangpoints ...

Using FB parts it can be converted to 'comfort' hang points but costs:

as this need both Engine Frame at around £350 + Cage at around £600 ... so not so economic at +£1000

or

Option 2 convert to low/mid hang points on a DIY basis ?

possibly using another harness and attaching to the frame - but that wont have any bars - floating or otherwise.

Anyone know of any spare/suitable frames ?

or

Option 3

re-mount motor on another, possibly s/h frame with low/mid hangpoints ?

A simonini + parajet macro frame might be fun .. but probably wipes out any weight advantage

or

Option 4 Scrub this deal - get the guy to post on classified here or ebay for someone who like J-bars -

Then dig deeper for other light 60+kg trust favourite - eg air-conception Utra130 for 4800 euros, new with carbon propeller and two batteries http://www.airconception.com/paramoteurs/ultra-130.html (64Kg thrust 21Kg all in) ... 9 kg less for my long pins to launch (as well as their usual 90Kg payload )

mark

[mark77a]

This post was tad too wordy (OK ... a brain fart )

thanks to Flat-top Dave for the PM's.

I found a low hours Fresh Breeze Simmonini for sale, 2 miles away for £2K- BUT with high attachment points.

Fresh Breeze want £950 to convert to low (CB or sportix) ( ...ouch !!)

So anyone have a secondhand low hangpoint cage etc. to take a 122-125cm prop ?

Cheers mark

[fanman]

Try the FB using the original J bars. Many people find them just fine. There is a cheaper alternative to mofifying the FB that I did to a mates machine and we have both flown it this way ever since. Buy an Aerothrust harness from David Lankish in the US (cost me £130 brand new). The anti-torque strap is designed for props turning the other way compared to the Simo so just ignore that. It will fit the FB Respect frame straight away doing away with the heavy FB harness, ground handling straps and J bar fittings. It stays permanently attached to the frame like any other machine. The crab attachment is now on the shoulder strap (like an Adventure) and we happily fly this set up using brake handles set up for low hang points. Alan K on this forum flies this set up too however he has the old style frame on his Solo engine machine so had to weld in a bar for the harness to attach to.

[mark77a]

I'd particularly like to use low hangpoints to do both PG and PPG (i've got a dudek nemo moto Wing - specifically for both)

Fanman - thanks for info about using Aerothrust harness from David Lankish. [http]

I've got an apco 'first' harness 48132 http://www.apcoaviation.com/products.as ... duct=first

as below

https://picasaweb.google.com/MAS.DPL/Dr ... 4197680610

But how does the Aerothrust or this harness fit the frame and frame hang point bars.

I saw the threads : viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4993&start=0&hilit=Aerothrust+harness

and like Alan K, I'd love to see a pic of this setup.

[alan_k]

Mark here is one picture of my setup viewtopic.php?f=4&t=5252&start=0&hilit=aerothrust

I will take some more detailed ones later today and post them up,

Cheers,

Alan

[mark77a]

Ah thanks Alan

I would love to see a side view and any other pix you have.

Likewise - anyone else mixed 'n matched harness and frame ?

cheers

mark

[alan_k]

Here are the detailed pics, should be self explanatory with the added text:

Cheers,

Alan

[mark77a]

Hey Alan - FANTASTIC pix !!

thanks SO much for taking the time to post them.

I see you dont have any ‘Roman scales’ ie attachment swing arms pivoted on the frame. What difference does this make ?

Once again THANKS

Mark

[alan_k]

Hi Mark, glad you like the pics, pleased to be of help.

As you can see particularly from the side view, the setup gives you high hang points.

At my weight of 76Kg the karabiners in the top loops gives a good upright motor position.

If you were 90-100Kg then the karabiners could be fitted in the bottom loops, the straps shortened, giving a lower hang point. Still at shoulder level though.

Cheers,

Alan

[fanman]

We fly the Simo with the carabiner straps much shorter than that (not much more than the shoulder straps) which gives us a mid hang point allowing use of low hook in brake settings. This is far more convenient for using the same wing with a free flying harness or other lower hook in paramotor. It also gives greater range of travel for flaring.

[mark77a]

Sounds like an excellent setup, Fanman.

I'll probably do the same.

Do you use swing arms pivoted on the frame ?

cheers

Mark

[fanman]

Why would you want swing arms? Some similar set ups use 'comfort bars' to ensure you don't get pinned between the carabiner straps and the frame but we have found them unneccessary with this harness. Swing arms do not give you improved weightshift by the way, in fact they reduce the effect of weightshift by making your body movements articulate the arms rather than transmit the weightshift through to the crabs. Another urban myth busted! Swing arms help a powerful low hang point machine reduce some of the torque from being transferred to the crabs by allowing the motor/harness to twist within itself. Setting up a harness properly in the first place makes all this unneccessary anyway. Mid hang points give you the very best of everything.